Nowadays, many mobile operators offer various value-added services such as broadcast/multicast services (BCMCS's) to customers. There are various methods for distributing BCMCS content in a communication network. In one such method, the flow of the BCMCS content is controlled by a third-party content provider. This method requires the third-party content provider to have knowledge of the network topology, and might cause security and safety threats. In another such method, certain communication standards define a way to distribute the BCMCS content in a communication network, for example, a Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000) network. However, the standards do not specify the roles performed by various network elements such as a network controller, a content server and a content provider, for distributing the BCMCS content in the communication network. Moreover, the standards do not specify the flow of the BCMCS content for all the standard call types, such as static and network-initiated calls in the communication network.
In light of the above discussion, there is a need for a method to distribute BCMCS content in a communication network while the network topology is prevented from being exposed to any third-party network element or service provider. Further, the method should specify the flow of content for all the standard call types, namely, dynamic, static and network-initiated calls. The method should also specify the role of each network element for the flow of BCMCS content. Furthermore, the method should be simple to implement.
Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help in improving an understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, the terms “first”, “second”, and the like herein, if any, are used inter alia for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. Any of the preceding terms so used may be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, such that various embodiments of the invention described herein may be capable of operation in other configurations and/or orientations than those explicitly illustrated or otherwise described.